


[Remix/Rewrite] Sibling Skies

by Night-Mare (Aoife)



Series: Secondary Flames and Side Effects [4]
Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Author loves to chat in the Comments, Chosen Siblings, Flame Active Character(s), Flame Theory and Lore, Fluffiest Fluffy Fluff that Fluffed, Gen, POV Dino, Sawada Iemitsu's A+ Parenting, Unconventional Uses for Dying Will Flames, Varia Arc
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-21
Updated: 2017-12-23
Packaged: 2019-01-01 06:25:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12150576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aoife/pseuds/Night-Mare
Summary: Dino's PoV on events during the time covered byA Stolen Rain and a Restored Crown. Including chosen Family fluff and a little bit of politics.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Sibling Skies](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10482618) by [Night-Mare (Aoife)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aoife/pseuds/Night-Mare). 



> I've had a rough week with my PTSD, hence the comparative quiet from my side of things. I should manage to catch up with comments soon - I love having the discussions in the comment sections, and several of my favourite comments helped me through the last week. In the meantime, enjoy Dino being a good big brother.

“Need you to take my tuna-fishie a present, Cavallone.” Sawada and Tsuna’s Flames were very, very different, and it wasn’t just their Secondaries - or lack thereof - but something far more fundamental. He’s so busy trying to stop those Flames infringing on his Will - Sawada’s Sky was enormous, far stronger even than the Ninth’s - that he doesn’t think to ask what’s in the box he’s handed, or protest being used as an errand boy by the CEDEF Sky. Part of him is even grateful for the excuse for another trip to Japan; he’s by far the youngest of the Alliance Dons right now, and the closest thing he has to a peer is Tsuna.

He scrubs himself raw when he gets back to his Villa - it’s not the first time he’s needed to take a shower after running into Tsuna’s Father; there’s something about the CEDEF Sky - and then he takes his dirty clothes and himself downstairs and locks himself in one of the two training rooms under his Villa. His reserves are nowhere near as large as any of the Vongola Skies, but he's spent the last ten years working on his Flames with the tor-tutoring of an Arcobaleno as motivation; that and journals and some guidance from his father gave him a basic foundation to build on that had led him to develop _this_ set of skills.

He meditates. His Flames curl around him, playful and he embraces them. They’ve been his only comfort and companion at times, and learning to use his Sun Secondary was all that had made Reborn’s tor-tutoring bearable. He raises his Sky Flames to _just_ beneath his skin and then flares them sharply and burns off all of the traces of Sawada’s sticky, slimy Flames off himself and his clothing - the effort it takes to do so leaves him panting, and scrubbing his eyes - and leaves him with the familiar splashes of Cloud and Sky Flames all over his own, and the thrumming stability of his bond to his Sun. It also makes Sawada’s ‘gift’ for his son burst into Flames in the pile of his clothing and he winces and scrambles for the small ornate box.

His dirty clothes are nothing but ash; the box on the other hand is in perfect condition. He stops just shy of touching it when the crest on the lid registers, and he swears, and snatches his hand back. Fucking Vongola. He harmonises his Flames with his little brother's, and brushes it across the clasp; the case pops open to reveal seven of the half-Rings, thrumming with power. He strokes a finger carefully over the partial Sky Ring, his Flames still harmonised with the traces of his little brother’s he wears willingly. He's not entirely sure what he expects; only that he was sure that the Rings had defense mechanisms. But he’s a fully trained, Adult Sky, and Sawada had told him to give them to his little brother, and that wasn't _right_. Especially given they weren’t _whole_ ; that could only mean that there was another heir in play. He winces; other than Sawada himself - who had just given him one set of half-Rings - there's only one other surviving heir he can think of, but Xanxus has been missing for almost a decade. There's a painful draw on his Sky; he tries to fight it, but he _can't_ and then there's a Flame Ghost in front of him.

"Mm. Touching that was a _very_ bad idea, young Cavallone." The Flame Ghost brushes their fingers along his jawline. "At least you didn't try and put the Ring on."

"Sawada wants me to give these to his son." The Flame Ghost raised their eyebrow at his tone of voice, and _then_ his lips curved thoughtfully, and picked up the Sky half-Ring to toy with it.

"I like you, little Cavallone; in other circumstances, I’d choose you as a representative, but we need you to give the Rings to your little brother. Our Daniela has a plan, and the rest of us are willing enough to follow her lead; not all successions are about battles - or should be." The ghost has a wicked smile on his face. "Her plan has some definite benefits, too. Like this one." Sky Flame-flesh pressed against his lips and he gasped in surprise, and there was a tongue, and then the presence was gone and he was blushing furiously, and all seven of the half-Rings were back in their case in front of him.

He snapped the ornate case shut on the half-Rings, and then slid it into the pocket of his cargo pants. Sawada had given him the half-Rings to take to his little brother, which meant it couldn't be Sawada - who he wasn’t going to dignify with the identity of Tsuna’s _father_ \- who would be facing his little brother. He'd have heard if Xanxus had reappeared, wouldn't he? How long was it since he'd last seen Squalo? His school friend had visibly been suffering from something like bond bereavement since Xanxus vanished; had he missed some sign of recovery?

He shook his head and levered himself upright. Stealing the Rings was a time-honoured part of the Vongola succession as was any number of other shenanigans, which was ridiculous. He could do a lot to thwart any attempts to take the half-Rings from him before he headed for Japan, which included not giving away he had them; which meant not rushing _immediately_ to his little brother’s side, and not going on the defensive. As much as he hated the concept of security by obscurity, he was under no illusions about his Family’s ability to defend the Rings against the Varia and other than himself he had _perhaps_ a dozen men that could go up against even a sub-Officer and survive. And the Flame Ghost - that he had recognised as the Vongola Fifth - had told him to give the half-Rings to his little brother. He rubbed his fingers against his temples and tried to stave off his incipient headache, and then stepped back out of the training room and back into his Villa; his consigliere, his Sun, is waiting for him. He must have been leaking his stress over their bond; Romario’s eyes are backlit with his Sun Flames, and his consigliere brushes his hand against his temple before either of them can say anything. His headache eases, and he’s immensely gratefully; it only solidifies his resolve not to put his men up against the Varia for what is _effectively_ an internal Vongola issue.

He ignores his Sun’s anxious curiosity about what he’d been doing in the training room. "Romario, Reborn's requested my assistance in Japan at the end of the week. What do I need to get off my desk to make that possible?" His Sun eyes him skeptically.

"There are two major contracts, and you need to sign off on this quarter's financials. And no, you can't take those to Japan with you; you never get any work done when we're visiting Tsunayoshi. How long does your _former_ tutor want you for?" His consigliere's anxiety thrummed at the back of his skull, and he couldn't do anything about it. He trusted his Sun, but he didn’t trust himself to protect Romario from Mammon or one of his minions if he was outside of his line of sight.

He did a quick mental calculation. "At least a fortnight." He considered what Reborn would likely ask him to do once the half-Rings were in his little brother’s hands, and his own Flames rippled in greedy anticipation of getting to play with his little brother’s prospective Cloud again. "I suspect that he's decided that it's about time that Kyoya got some training."

His consigliere winced. "For at least a fortnight? Then there's a half dozen minor contracts to clear as well, and you'll need to make it _very_ clear to the Carlotti that you being out of the country is neither an invitation to nibble away at the northern edge of the territory nor an excuse to resume trafficking."

His smile _should_ have have been _far_ more at home on his swordsman school friend's lips than on his. "We'll start with the Carlotti. I'm too twitchy for the paperwork." The case in his pocket weighed heavy against his leg, and he would _welcome_ the opportunity to work out his frustrations on the Carlotti.

"At least give it a couple of hours, Boss. You’re barely at half-strength."

He harrumphed like one of his prize stallions. "Car, Romario. You can send outriders, but I'm going now; any paperwork you try and make me do is going to end _badly_." His consigliere took him at his word about the outriders; he winced at the armoured limousine with its silver stallion and the _six_ motorcycles. He sighed and debated arguing with his Sun Guardian, but instead folded himself into his limousine. His consigliere started to climb into the limousine behind him, but he stopped when he shook his head. "Go and put together the contracts I need to sign, Romario. I'll deal with them when I get back from the Carlottis."

The Carlottis take one look at him and the mood he's in and surrender _completely_. He's both annoyed and relieved; he leaves two of his men to start the process of taking control of the Famiglia. Romario still pokes and prods him for close to a half hour when he returns, not willing to take his word that he didn't fight. His Sun is a complete mother hen, but it's entirely justifiable given his past clumsiness, and the fact that using his own Sun Flames on himself requires either meditation or for him to go to sleep _calm_.

Romario tries to herd him toward his paperwork once he’s done fussing, but he’s learned to evade his consigliere over the years, and he’s still physically antsy. A couple of hours on one of his stallions, sounds _just_ the thing. And he’s never been clumsy on horseback.


	2. Chapter 2

He tenses as they approach Namimori in the armoured limousine Romario had had purchased in Japan when he realised how frequently they’d be visiting, and he leans forward and knock on the partition window, drawing the attention of the Mist acting as his driver. "Bono, we're 'needed' in the shopping district; it _feels_ like Squalo is here, and Kyoya deciding that he needed to try and bite the Varia to death for threatening Namimori would just end with him being released on the wider Mafia as their Cloud Officer, and I’m not sure we want that. Yet." His consigliere - sitting opposite him - makes a noise that could be either approval or resignation, and he settle back in his seat as the vehicle turned off the main road leading to the property he'd bought. Which was probably nearer to Kyoya’s home than the Cloud was entirely comfortable with, but he was interested in the teen, and being interested in a Cloudy-type meant both making them notice you, and then making them deal with you being in and part of their territory, whatever the reason for the interest.

"Boss -" His consigliere sounds dubious about his choices in life. But him wanting to ‘play’ with Squalo always made Romario sound skeptical; probably because he came back covered in bruises and sulking more often than not.

"You and Bono can accompany me, Romario. I'm not risking the others against whoever is skulking around letting Squalo be the loud and flamboyant distraction. You and I can hold our own against a Varia Officer; how many of the men we brought with us can say the same?" His consigliere tilts his head, and he can see the calculations in the older man's brain, the man running through the list of Active fighters they had, and comparing them with each of the Varia Officers’ profiles.

"You’re right. I'll review the training programme when I get the first opportunity. Bono and I are the only two that won't be a liability if one of the other Officers is using Squalo as a stalking horse." Left unsaid is that the three of them might be able to hold off two Officers if they were expecting them, but three, or Squalo and Mammon acting together would probably be _far_ too much for them. There's something else, and he waits for his Right Hand to spit it out, but the man simply draws his pistol from the holster at the back of his waistband and checks that there's a round chambered, and sighs. "I was under the impression we were here for you to ‘play’ with young Tsunayoshi's Cloud, but that isn't it, is it, Boss?" He slides the box out of the inside pocket it was in, and pops it open, showing his Sun - who he'll be keeping very, very close until he's handed the Rings over, so he doesn't need to worry about Mammon plucking things from Romario’s mind - the half-rings. Romario's vocabulary of Italian vulgarities was _very_ impressive. Then the older man narrows his eyes at him. "It's been over a week since you last had contact with the CEDEF, Boss. Have you been carrying those for this entire period?" He nods, and his Sun runs through another six languages worth of vulgarities, ending with a threat to remove Sawada's bollocks and reminding him of a question he kept meaning to ask his consigliere.

"I think I just learnt some new swear words." Romario looks a touch sheepish, and mostly amused. He'll ask his consigliere that question _later_ , and remind his Sun that if he wants to emasculate the CEDEF Sky, he needed to refresh his own training, too. Sawada Senior was a _ridiculously_ strong Sky for all he had no apparent Guardian bonds. "We're not going looking for a fight. The plan is just to distract Squalo into leaving my little brother alone, and then hand over the Rings. To whom depends on Squalo's behaviour, and any, uh, prompting." He strokes a finger over the Sky Ring, and wonders if the Vongola Fifth would take the cue and make an appearance.

Juliano - he'd found the man's name in the journal of the Cavallone Fourth, who had overlapped with him (and had fucked him once or twice and had been in _raptures_ about his skills) - doesn't disappoint. The 'tug' on his Flames isn't as strong this time, as if the Ring was drawing from another source too, and he ends up with a lapful of _very_ interested Flame ghost. His consigliere snorts, and points his pistol at him and Juliano.

A pistol _should_ be an ineffective tool against other Flame Users, but the rounds in his consigliere’s pistol weren't _standard_ rounds, and he and Romario spent a lot of time making them. They weren't quite Reborn or Xanxus's Dying Will bullets, but they were related; and made rather fabulous explosions when they made contact. He wasn't entirely sure that the rounds would _actually_ connect with Juliano, if Romario tried to shoot him, but the worst that would happen if they hit him is that he would be somewhat hyper for a couple of hours; his Harmony was part of how they were made, and he doubted they could _harm_ him.

"So. Is Xanxus part of Donna Daniela's plan, Juliano?" The Vongola Fifth doesn't answer his question, instead choosing to close the ring case. Ghostly hands were then laced in his hair, and Juliano dragged him into another kiss at least as hot as the one when he'd first brought the Rings back to the Villa, and he was quite comprehensively fucked, he suspected. This time there was tongue, and Sky Flames playing flirtatiously with his.

"I'd take that as a yes, Boss. I'm not sure he'd be molesting you if he wasn't trying to distract you." His consigliere was mostly amused. "If he's not entirely willing Don Vongola, I'll find some way to destroy you. Even if I have to destroy the Ring itself, and I’m sure I could find _plenty_ of people willing to help."

The Fifth broke the kiss. "I'd be kissing him one way or the other, Romario. One does not turn up one's nose at an opportunity to ride a Cavallone." He bit the inside of his cheek at the casual reference to things he’d been reading about. There was an affectionate pat to the bulge in his pants from the Fifth. "And young Dino isn't complaining." He really isn’t. Though the ghost was a complete tease, who he doubted would be following through. There was another biting kiss, an unsubtle attempt to fuck his mouth with the other man's tongue, and he gave in and kissed the Flame Ghost back. He really wouldn’t mind an opportunity to be fucked by the man, given the Cavallone Fourth’s descriptions of their ‘adventures’.

"Boss." Romario's voice contained a warning, and he supposed he was rather outing himself to his consigliere. Not that he'd been especially discreet around the man in the past, and not that it really mattered, as long as he eventually found himself a Cavallone-blooded Sky heir. "Boss, we're in the shopping district. Where now?"

The Fifth is the one that breaks the kiss. "Young Tsunayoshi _needs_ the Rings. Daniela’s grandson will have to wait a little longer for their completion." The Flame Ghost vanishes before he can ask him what he means by that, and he's left with his Flames roiling under his skin, aroused, and he swallows before answering Romario’s question.

"Second left, and then we're on foot. We need to work on your ability to 'feel' other Flame Users, Romario. Squalo's leaking Flames like no one's business." He needs to work on his own capabilities, too; he's struggling to identify the rest of the Flame users present. The Cloud Flames _should_ be Kyoya, but unless he's very much mistaken, there's two Clouds present, and neither of them were his temptation. At least he could _also_ be fairly sure that neither Cloud was Varia; if the Varia had acquired a Cloud as strong as _either_ of the two present felt, they'd already be the Officer, and _everyone_ would know about it, given the post had been vacant since the Cradle Affair.

He leaves the limousine with the men that he refuses to take into a potential battle with multiple Varia Officers, and they _all_ make faces, and complain, and he suspects that they'll be _very_ motivated to improve their skill set. Bono and Romario spread out to cover his flanks, and he allows himself to edge towards something _resembling_ Dying Will Mode. It wasn't; that was a Vongola Secret. This was something he'd pieced together from journals and watching the Vongola boys fight, and experimentation. His eyes would be backlit with his Flames, and he allowed the same Flames to trickle into his whip.

The scene that greets him in the square - fortunately already clear of civilians, for which he's relieved, even if he does have the strongest of his Mists with him, so could have had things obscured if necessary - is a mess. And he winces at the sight of Gokudera and Yamamoto on the ground - Gokudera was one of the two individuals leaking Cloud Flames, and that was not what the silver-haired explosives specialist was suppose to be, Flame-wise, nor was Squalo, and what the ever-loving fuck was going on? He wanted to facepalm, especially given the presence of Basil, radiating Rain Flames and in full, Vongola-style Dying Will mode, and his former tutor was in the vicinity, too, though not interfering. Much.

Squalo turns on Tsuna again, and that's by no means a fair fight; his little brother is still at least partially Sealed, and a _civilian_. He narrowed his eyes; there was something off. Both with Squalo and Gokudera; the explosive specialist was _Named_ , and Squalo was a _very_ tricky opponent, able to fight off an average Sky on his own, which few Flame Actives were capable of. His little brother's potential Rain shouldn't be standing shaking off a concussion; he should be either dead or severely wounded, given Squalo's skills - and he damn well knew Smoking Bomb carried enough explosives to bring down the wall that was only showing light scorching - he'd paid him enough for a similar job, and that would have slowed Squalo down a _lot_.

Basil looks exhausted, and had a look of adoration on his face, aimed at Tsuna. If it wasn't for Takeshi, he might try and encourage the little Rain into his little brother's Harmony; he was wasted on Tsuna's no-good father. But Squalo was also looking at the teen like he was shark-bait, and he wondered what was going on there, especially since Squalo was radiating the sort of pleased territoriality he associated with a Cloud whose prey had surprised him. He stepped forward when Squalo back handed his little brother as he tried to step between the two Rains, and then pointed a sword at Tsuna; it was easy enough to wrap the blade with his whip and yank Squalo around to face him instead, and he thoroughly enjoyed their few minutes of fighting, even as it confirmed to him that there was _definitely_ something off about what was going on. His school friend was moving and fighting _wrong_.

Very wrong. He hesitates, and Squalo snatches up the still form of the little-CEDEF-Rain and fuck, since when had Squalo been a Cloud? There was no way even a Cloudy-Rain could have made that leap, especially whilst carrying a hundred pounds of dead weight over his shoulder. Before he can go after his friend - Xanxus and Iemitsu were likely at war with each other, if the Wrath Sky was _back_ , and he hadn't liked the way Squalo had been looking at the little Rain - there's Leon in whip-form wrapped around his wrist. "Leave them, Dino. " The Rings heated against his thigh, in apparent agreement with his former tutor’s intent, and he took the hint.

He goes to Tsuna’s limp form, instead, and picks his little brother - who was still stunned by Squalo’s backhanded blow and the resulting abrupt drop out of Dying Will Mode - up, taking the opportunity to pry gently at the shards of the Seal that's still limiting his strength. It doesn't shift despite his best efforts, and he mumbles an imprecation against idiot Vongola Skies under his breath. Sighing he leads the boys to his limousine; at least it's warded with Mist Flames and he has a paramedic-grade first response kit and the know-how to use it. Bono and Romario both take the front, and the motorcycle outriders slide into place. "Dino-nii, where are we going?" The question comes from his little brother, as he comes round. The vehicle's in motion, and he's currently radiating Sun Flames at a shrapnel wound in Smoking Bomb's arm, coaxing the teen's own Flames into Healing him; which was fascinating - did Reborn realise the treasure he'd found Tsuna in the explosives specialist? That was a _minimum_ of three different, _usable_ Flames that the Smoking Bomb had.

"Somewhere safe to discuss what just happened, Tsuna." That's obviously not the answer his little brother was looking for, but it was the only one he was going to give him right now. He needed to concentrate to do what he was doing. A handful of moments later, he felt the Mist perimeter they'd just crossed. He'd tried harmonising with Bono, and some of the other Mists in the Family - that they threw Mists was a well concealed secret, and the Cavallone attitude towards Mist Flames was _very_ different to that of the wider Mafia - hoping to find a second Guardian, but failed. Still he wasn't afraid to take advantage of their skills though, which included the protection and concealment of the small base they'd set up in Namimori. Bono and the others had taken it as a matter of pride that they'd kept its extent from Kyoya, which he found _hysterical_. "Welcome to the Cavallone 'Embassy'." He dropped air-quotes around the last word; it wasn't quite the right term, but this was an established and reasonable thing for resonant and Allied Skies, which he and his little brother _were_. Even if he hadn't _strictly_ speaking asked permission, first.

They're swarmed by his men when he opens the door of the limousine; and both his little brother's Guardian candidates freeze. "Gokudera-kun, _stand down_." There's an edge of something in Tsuna's voice that makes him raise an eyebrow, wondering if his little brother was going to develop one of the rarer Sky traits. Tsuna’s order calms the explosives expert almost instantaneously, the entwined, choppy Cloud and Storm Flames of the teen stilling. "Dino-nii is our ally, and you're injured. Please let them help." The tone of that last sentence makes his eyebrow rise further. That was _interesting_ , but not his to worry about right now. He needed to explain the Rings to his little brother, not interrogate him about his intentions towards his Guardians.


	3. Chapter 3

"So, what _was_ all that in aid of, Dino-nii?" Trust his little brother to start with the difficult question. He was still putting his own thoughts together; the two Clouds he _hadn't_ expected to find in the central square had rather thrown him.

"I was waiting for Reborn to explain more of this to you, Tsuna, but it looks like we've run out of time. Hayato will be able to confirm a lot of the details I'm about to tell you." He poured the three boys their own drinks - adding a generous splash of alcohol, because he knew the bombshell he was about to drop and _he'd_ have needed it in their place - once he had handed them the drinks, he put the ring case on the coffee table. "These are one-half of the Rings that would make you Don Vongola, and your father more or less blackmailed me into bringing them to you." He half expected Juliano - Vongola Quinto - to take the opportunity to make another appearance, but instead the Rings stayed dormant until Tsuna reached out and touched the Sky Ring gingerly, and _two_ former Vongola Dons appeared.

One was Giotto - Vongola Primo, but the other was Daniela, the Eighth Don, and the only female; he recognised her from some of the World War Two photos from where she'd teamed up with the Cavallone Seventh to wreak havoc on the blackshirts. "Giotto." The Eight's voice was chiding. "You _agreed_ to my plan." He's a little surprised by how similar his little brother looks to Giotto di Vongola, especially given how little _Sawada_ looked like the man; someone needed to check his brother's family tree more carefully. Perhaps along the maternal line(s); something from Nana’s side, given her looks and her nature would make far more sense that Sawada being the source of his brother's Will.

"And you have the floor, my lady." The Eighth pointed her crossbow at the First, and he bit the inside of his cheek. His brother still looked like he was in shock. "But we have more than one issue to deal with, now I've seen young Tsunayoshi in person." He's thoroughly amused by the byplay between the First and the Eighth, and it leaves him wondering how much of a 'life' the Flame Ghosts actually had. Especially when she rolls her eyes at _her_ ancestor.

"You remind me of my baby brother, the one that Benito had killed, Tsuna. But that's another discussion to have at a later date; the more important part is that there is a plan that _doesn't_ involve you becoming our Decimo at fifteen. There's another heir, but he's going to need your help." Tsuna's paying attention now; no one else has been so willing to give his little brother the way out he clearly desperately wanted. "My second Storm, and my grand-nephew, is _also_ eligible. Not that my idiot son will admit that." Was Daniela talking about _Xanxus_? This was the first he heard about him still being a Vongola! He'd known that Xanxus wasn't the Ninth's - that was obvious to anyone with _eyes_ and the last Wrath Sky had been his great aunt - and hadn't been surprised when he'd gotten Squalo drunk and gotten _that_ truth out of him Though he had been disappointed in the Ninth for throwing that at Xanxus during their fight over his brothers' behaviour. "But my son - who I will be shooting in the _head_ when I get the chance - ruined his older boys and froze my Xanxus when he confronted him about the fact that he had ruined them. However, Xanxus is used to having his own Sky - eight years on ice means he hasn't adjusted to my death - and Wrath Skies function best with another Sky as their anchor, which is where you come in, young Tsunayoshi." She shot a mischievous look at him. "I'm sure your Cavallone can tell you stories about the mayhem Tiberia invariably created when I failed to remind her to play nice."

"Um. Who _are_ you?" He winced at his little brother's question, and he suspected that if the Eighth ever got her hands on Reborn, Iemitsu or her son, there would be one or more _very_ messy deaths involved. Hadn’t Daniela di Vongola had Varia Guardians? She shared a look with the First, and then rubbed the bridge of her nose like she had a headache.

"I _was_ the Eighth Don of the Vongola, young Tsunayoshi; my given name is Daniela. Your lookalike is Giotto, the founder of our Family, and 'officially' the First Sky of our line. He wasn't, but that's a very long story, and not one to tell _right_ now." He was amused by how attentive and fascinated his little brother's right hand looked. "My idiot son is the current Head of the Family, and responsible for that abomination of a Seal on your Flames that Luce's Sun has been trying to break. Your father, who should be the one hitting my son on the nose with a rolled up newspaper, appears to be more interested in sucking his cock than speaking truth to power." Ouch. That was blunt, and _crude_.

And if it was true, fuck, that was a mental image he didn't need, and Giotto shot him a commiserating look. "Alaude would have cut both idiots' throats, and I'm sorely disappointed in Timoteo's Cloud that he hasn't."

"Yes, well, you had an incredibly independent and vicious Cloud, Giotto; most of us have had to settle for those with Cloud secondaries to fill that position, and they tend to not be as forceful about making their opinions known when their Skies are idiots." That makes him raise an eyebrow; he hadn't realised that Visconti was only Cloudy, as opposed to a true Cloud. "As to the plan, all I want - or need - you to do is to play along with what the idiots try and do, Tsunayoshi. That way you'll meet my Xanxus, and either you'll be who he needs - and likely take over the CEDEF in another decade; Lal Mirch will be quite happy to run it unfettered while you mature - or you won't be, and we'll burn that bridge when we get to it." The two Flame Ghosts vanish, and he wants to curse the two of them for leaving him to try and fill in the gaps for his little brother.

"Dino-nii" "Dino-san " "Don Cavallone" The chorus of questioning voices came from Tsuna and his Hands, and he crossed to the tantalus and poured himself another large drink. He needed it.

"You hadn't put together the CEDEF Sky and Tsuna, Hayato?" The explosives specialist shakes his head and he wants to be amused. "You'll be glad to hear you're _very_ unlike your father, Tsuna. Last time I met him, well, I needed a very hot shower and a couple of hours meditation to deal with his shit, and he still managed to manipulate me into playing messenger boy for him." He watched his little brother wince. "If I'm being kind, Tsuna, he's a consummate _field_ commander for an intelligence organisation. It's why I wasn't surprised your mother didn't know about his role in the Mafia; but he's not a very good choice for the head of the CEDEF, which _isn't_ a field position; and, even if I'm that kind to him, there's also something wrong in his head; he practically raised Basil, and yet he was willing to sacrifice him - unnecessarily - to distract Squalo; I doubt the poor kid even knew he was carrying a set of fakes."

"Will Basil-kun be alright with Squalo-san, Dino-nii?" He took a mouthful of his whisky and eyed his little brother thoughtfully.

"Um. I was going to go and check once I'd gotten those into your hands, Tsuna. Squalo is Xanxus's senior Guardian and the one who has run the Varia in his absence -" noting the blank look on his little brother's face, he didn't resist the temptation to face palm this time. "Hayato, can you explain, please? I know your mentor was scouted for them at one point; I had to listen to Squalo bitching about him refusing for a _month_."

"The Varia, Jyuudaime, are _the_ group of Assassins in the Vongola Alliance. They're kinda crazy and eccentric, but they specialise in doing the impossible. Everyone _knows_ it was them when they kill someone, but a trademark of theirs is they can wander around Italy in uniform and no one can come _close_ to pinning a kill on them. They're very, very expensive, and there's some really odd criteria for them taking a contract, but if they do ... well their victim is already dead. He just hasn't realised. In War - and I mean _real_ War, not just inter-Family conflict - they're your Family's shock troops. The stories about their members during World War Two - well, they did some amazing shit, and they were the main reason the Fascists left the countryside alone." Hayato was babbling, and it was funny; he wondered if the Storm Cloud had actually been with Shamal when he was scouted.

"Hiiieee! My father wants me to fight _assassins_!" Even with the partial Seal still in place, his little brother was panicking enough that he was on the edge of achieving Dying Will Mode unassisted, and he shaped his Flames to soothe him.

"Thank you, Hayato. As I said, Tsuna - your father is fucked in the head. Xanxus was frozen by the Ninth for reasons that basically amounted to him attempting to call him on what was going on in _inside_ the Family and how it was knocking on to the rest of the Alliance; judging by Squalo's behaviour and the Flame Ghosts' testimony, he's been defrosted for some reason. But Xanxus had been raised by the previous Donna to run the Alliance, and most of the other Dons will look to him - and given Squalo's wearing a Superbi Ring, that includes the second Family of the Alliance." His little brother's still panicking. "Tsuna, sweetheart, _no_ one other than the Ninth and your father wants this to come to a fight, and we're all apparently conspiring to make sure neither you nor your Guardians come to any _actual_ harm." He paused, feeling the way Tsuna was calming under the light touch of his Flames; it reminded him that he needed to check if anyone had actually taught his little brother about some of the non-fighting uses for their shared Flames. He suspected they hadn't, and that left Tsuna open to manipulation by his father and others.

Tsuna scrubbed his eyes. “What’s in it for him?” He opened his mouth, but his little brother beat him to speaking. “No. I don’t want to know. Kaasan still loves him; I wish I hadn’t found out he was still alive though.” If he didn’t know his brother couldn’t achieve Dying Will Mode on his own, he’d think he’d skipped straight over it and into _Hyper_ Dying Will Mode, given how eerily calm he’d become. “Will Basil-kun be alright, Dino-nii? Squalo-san felt like a cat that got the cream, and -” his little brother waved his hands, frustrated, as if he couldn’t find the words. Which, given that Reborn had apparently been concentrating on physical conditioning rather than ‘Flame’ studies, he probably didn’t _have_.

"Squalo, despite all appearances, is apparently a Cloud, and I _think_ that was him deciding that Basil was a piece of his territory, Tsuna. But I'll check that he’s okay, if that’ll put your mind at ease?" He’s not surprised when his little brother nods _vigorously_. (He was curious himself; had that been Squalo claiming Basil for the Varia, or as a Superbi bastard? Either could have left his friend feeling _that_ way.)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This and [Chapter 6 of A Stolen Rain and a Restored Crown](http://archiveofourown.org/works/12061740/chapters/29602530) are direct parallels of each other; they share the dialogue, but each is from a different PoV.

"So what _have_ you done with Basil, Squalo?" He's sprawled in one of the comfortable chairs in the not-just-a-Rain's office. Romario makes a sound in the back of his throat, one that implies that he thinks he's crazy for his decision to infiltrate the Cloud’s office, and perhaps he is; but his consigliere, who had _finally_ admitted to spending time with the Varia when he was younger, had enabled this particular bout of insanity - so he doesn’t get to say anything - by helping him side step the various traps that _should_ have kept him out of this office. (Not that most of them would be particularly effective on a self-aware Sky, but still.)

He does twitch slightly at the killing intent Squalo radiates, but compared to a raging Reborn, it was very, very mild. The cocking of Romario's pistol was incredibly audible in the quiet of the office, but Squalo allows his KI to fade and flops into his own chair, rather than summoning one of his mooks to escort him out. His consigliere sighs and makes his weapon safe, leaning back against the wall, in a quasi-guard position.

"Basil's in the infirmary with the Boss and Lussuria. The Idiot had done a number on him with his Flames, and brainwashing, and I chased him the full length of the Silk Road, Bronco." Squalo's honest bluntness surprises him - as does the fact he's stopped hiding his Cloud flames; they're dancing over the Rings on his flesh-and-blood hand. "Voooiii. Stop staring at me like that; I hid that damn Flame from everyone because I didn't feel like dealing with all the shitty poaching attempts getting worse. It's not a personal insult."

"You don't behave like a Cloud, Squalo." The swordsman laughed hysterically at that.

"First thing I did after Donna Daniela's death forced me to wake that Flame up to keep my shitty-Sky from doing anything stupid was carve out a fucking territory, Bronco, and then fort up in it with my Sky. Classic fucking Cloud behaviour; everyone just read it through their own fucking filters. Now what the fuck are you _really_ here for? I know you know Superbi practicality too well to think I'd slit the Rain-brat's throat when he could be useful; I'd be more likely to send him up to Orcinus and Abalone for deprogramming, if my shitty-Sky hadn't decided to keep him." Squalo was still playing with his Flames, and the more that he did so, the more of a Cloud he realised the swordsman was; he’d thought it was perhaps a Secondary, but that was definitely a Primary Flame.

"There's a plan. The Fifth and Daniela confirmed as much, but given that my still mostly Sealed baby brother is being forced into a Ring scramble with your overpowered lunatic of a Sky, I wanted _your_ reassurance that this wasn't going to end up with any of my baby brother's Guardian-candidates dead." He’s fairly sure given Belphegor and the apparent adoption of Basil that they wouldn’t kill any of them if they had _potential_.

"Nah. One of them is a cousin. Worse we'll do the brats is beat the Stupid out of them." He winces, just a little bit. He'd had Squalo hunt him across Asia; his little brother would freak out at the idea of all of the Varia Officers focusing on training him and his. Squalo's eyes narrowed. "Daniela _and_ the Fifth?” His cheeks pinked, just a little bit.

"Giotto stuck his oar in briefly, too." Squalo didn't take the bait.

"You're _blushing_ , Bronco." He sounded curious.

"I could demonstrate, Squalo." He hadn’t expected to hear Juliano’s voice _now_. He squeaked. Surely he needed the Sky Ring to do that? "My wife let me borrow her connection to the Cloud Ring, young Cavallone."

"Voooiii, seriously, Bronco? Only you would have a Flame Ghost this determined to flirt with you." Squalo had rather theatrically slapped his face.

Juliano eyed the swordsman. "Says the Superbi who has obviously never tried Cavallone cock. And I'm here because Daniela's currently too busy plotting Timoteo's demise. Getting to flirt with Dino is just a very welcome bonus." He was bright pink. He _had_ to be. He also was sure he hadn't been supposed to hear the muttered addendum to that. "Maybe Daniela'll let me talk her into a threesome with her and my Cloudy wife if I play nice?"

"Voooiii. I have my Sky back. If I’d wanted to try the Horse out, I would have done it a decade ago." Watching Juliano stick his tongue out at Squalo killed off any inclination to believe that the Vongola Dons had to be dignified.

"It's a shame. He's a Cavallone; they've all got very, very pretty cocks.” There was an audible click as Romario cocked his weapon again. “Moving on. Daniela and Giotto need you to bear something in mind, Squalo; Tsunayoshi is still Sealed despite the Arcobaleno's efforts. She thinks that it may need Xanxus’s Wrath to finish purging it - and even if _we_ could remove it, perhaps it would be better for him to do so."

"Juliano. No manipulating my little brother that way. If he's going to be Xanxus's Sky, then it's got to be _his_ choice." He flares his Flames in the equivalent of stomping his foot. "I'm going back to Japan to teach Tsuna how to 'handle' other Sky Users trying to impinge on his Will, once I've checked on Basil and resolved a few minor issues at 'home'."

"Good. He needs it." Juliano's lips curled into a wicked smile. "Giotto would disapprove of me showing you this, but you'll appreciate it, I think." The Flame Ghost waved his hands, and shaped Mist Flames in a complex fashion, and then there was an illusionary scene forming on Squalo's desk, and he bite his lip in amusement as Giotto berated, and then cold-cocked Iemitsu.

"Oh, I could watch that over, and over. Can we bribe Giotto into doing it again?" Squalo laughed hysterically at his question, and Juliano and Romario both chuckled.

"Unfortunately, it's unlikely. But if Xanxus doesn't kill him, we'll at least be monitoring him to make sure if he reproduces again there can be an intervention so he doesn't attempt to Seal any more heirs." Juliano swiped a hand through the illusion, and then settled back into one of the chairs.

... the use of Mist Flames attracted the attention of Mammon. Or perhaps Squalo had done something; the little Mist materialised in the chair opposite the one that Juliano was sprawled in. "Mou. I was napping; whoever was responsible for waking me owes me €10.000."

"For some reason Flame Ghosts don't get access to hard currency so charge it to my successor." Juliano allowed Sky and Mist Flames to dance over his fingers. "I doubt you want illusionary cash, and being billed for something that was contributing to the rectification of his mistakes would serve Timoteo right." The Flame Ghost eyed the Arcobaleno thoughtfully. "Three things that might pay off my debt to you, Viper. One; Giotto and Ricardo's Mist is still running around; I would suggest doing something about him before he tries to kill _your_ Sky. Two, the Vindice were formed in my lifetime, and their leader is and was the only known Arcobaleno to survive the curse. You may want to exchange information with Bemuda von Veckenstein; and simply knowing his name will get you his attention." Something about what Juliano had said had Mammon very, very focused. "The third piece of information I'm keeping until you've spread the news that Timoteo and Iemitsu Sealed and crippled young Tsunayoshi around the alliance. I'd rather not have anyone suggest that Xanxus should execute him to secure his position. If he's anything like the Wrath Sky during my era, that'll end in an ocean of blood." Squalo raised an eyebrow at the Flame Ghost. "Mmm. Sabine di Giglio Nero was a _terror_ when enraged. She should be in your Family's journals somewhere; her anchor was a Superbi Sky.”

"... did you say they _Sealed_ Tsunayoshi."

"Yes." The little Mist looked vaguely apoplectic, and their pacifier went from barely glowing to a vivid, brilliant indigo with decidedly purple-red tones, and he had to resist the temptation to throw up a wall of Flames as a precaution.

"Go. Make the idiot's life miserable. Just remember that if the Boss has to shake you down for enough money to run the Family you know he will, and then he'll kick your ass up and down the training rooms for it." He tilted his head and watched the interplay, and realised just how much he and the others in the Alliance had missed by _assuming_ Squalo was ‘just’ a Rain.

"Mou. Fine." The little Mist felt like they were sulking.

"Mammon, I've claimed Tsunayoshi as a younger sibling, _and_ I'm Reborn's student. If you leave him or Nana destitute, I _will_ demonstrate just how thoroughly I've learned the lessons he's taught me." Squalo looked at him with a certain amount of respect for his willingness to threaten an Arcobaleno for a chosen Family member. Mammon on the other hand looked conflicted, and then vanished into a flare of Mist Flames.

"I'll leave you two to your 'discussion'." Juliano vanished into the ether, possibly following the Arcobaleno, given the information he'd bribed them with. And leaving the two of them staring at each other in silence.

"Voooiii. Don't want to take you near the Boss. Not if I'm being honest." He winces; that was a bad sign. It either meant that Squalo's Cloudy-instincts were playing up badly enough that he was being seen as a threat - which while it would be flattering, he doubted that was the cause given that Squalo had successfully hidden his status for _years_ \- or Xanxus was still _very_ weak and the addition of an injured Guardian as well ...

"You're his Cloud and the Head of the Varia; I can wait to hear this from him directly." And oh, Squalo was such a Cloud now that he'd stop trying to hide. That preening at someone's acknowledgement that his territory was his to manage and control was right out of Kyoya's handbook. "I need to get back to Namimori; I have things to teach Tsuna before his father invades, and then Reborn's ask me to train _your_ opponent Squalo. Watching the two of you fight is going to be hilarious."

"Voooiii. Bronco, what do you _know_?" Squalo’s eyes had lit up, with a blue-purple tint.

"Only that by outing yourself as Xanxus's Cloud, and Iemitsu forcing the battles to happen you've got Fon's nephew - who he and I have trained - as your opponent. And Squalo?" He turned back from the door. "I know that you’ll find out about the retired master swordsman in Namimori. You’re very, very good at finding competition. But, if you kill or seriously injure Tsuyoshi Yamamoto there will be a _queue_ of people to kill you, and not all of them will play as nicely as I do."

"Voooiii!" Squalo's exclamation followed him and Romario out into the corridor and he allowed his Sky Flames to flare gently; if there was a response from the other Sky he'd track it, but if he didn't, he'd avoid annoying Squalo to that extent by invading the infirmary. It wasn't worth it.

"No, Boss. You don't need more than one Cloud annoyed with you at a time. Stop debating whether to wind up Squalo by invading the infirmary to bug Xanxus." He pouted at his consigliere; he wanted to see Basil and Xanxus with his own eyes so he could reassure his baby brother. His Sun checked his phone. "And here’s another reason not to rile Squalo, Boss, Tetsuya just messaged me that Kyoya knows about the 'embassy' and is _not_ amused. He hasn’t figured out how to breach the barrier yet, _but_."

"Just as well Reborn wants me to distract and train him then." His Flames rippled in pleasure at the idea of getting to play with Namimori’s resident Cloud.

"Boss, you're a fucking masochist and crazy enough for the Varia." Romario shook his head at him.

He eyed his Right Hand. "You wound me, Romario. I'm not that bad, am I?”

"No. You're _worse_."

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is the _actual_ remix chapter from the original. There are some changes.

Reborn raised an eyebrow at him. "I was under the impression that I’d told you to distract Tsuna's Cloud, baka-Dino."

"You did. But there were other things that needed done, and my little brother needed them dealt with first. And, as you either can't teach Tsuna the Flame tricks he's going to need to keep his Will his own when Iemitsu and Xanxus start throwing their Flames around, or haven’t bothered to for some reason, I'm borrowing my little brother for the afternoon, Reborn." The Arcobaleno lips curled into an approving smile at his show of backbone.

"You can have him for the rest of the day, then, baka-Dino. He's nearly figured out how to use zero-point, and a change is _nearly_ as good as a rest. Just make sure that Hibari is out of Namimori within the next twenty four hours, or you can deal with the Cervello’s response to his fury." Reborn turned to the coffee machine that Nana had bought for him, and he crossed hurriedly to the bottom of the stairs before his former tutor could change his mind.

"Tsuna!" He called his little brother’s name when he was half way up the stairs, and was grateful that Romario had taken up a stool in the kitchen so he doesn’t fall down the stairs when Tsuna comes flying out of the bedroom and hugs him. "I've got that information you wanted, and Reborn's agreed to let me borrow you for long enough to show you a few useful tricks with your Flames. Short of the gloves, I mean. Can we use your room?"

Rather than answer him, he was promptly dragged up the remaining stairs to a bedroom far tidier than it had once been; he takes the desk chair, and his little brother sits, cross-legged on his bed, and he shuts his eyes for a moment, gathering his thoughts.

“Firstly, Basil’s fine. That was indeed Squalo being a Cloudy brat and deciding Basil was his; the worst that’s going to happen to the kid now is that he gets thoroughly trained and deprogrammed. And as Squalo was involved in deprogramming Xanxus’s Lightning, it won’t even be the first time they’ve done that for one of Xanxus’s bonded; Xanxus would shoot me for mentioning it, but he has a tendency to take in waifs and strays; I think that Squalo’s his only Guardian from one of the main Families. Which brings me onto my second point, though this is one for _after_ everything has been resolved; you’ll be gaining some extra trainers. Hayato is apparently a ‘lost’ Superbi, and Squalo’s family are _very_ possessive about people they consider theirs, but in a ‘train them till they can look after themselves’ sort of way - that extends to those their Family members think of as theirs, somewhat like Kyoya and his Committee - rather than a cage them to keep them safe way.” His little brother’s eyes widened. He ran through what he’d just said. Hayato. The idea of Hayato having Family that would value him for him, rather than feeding him poison cooking would be a surprise. “If Squalo tells his brother, the Family Heir about Hayato, then one of two things will happen; Orcinus killing Don Falco, or him showing up here to train Hayato. Or possibly both. So if you see a Squalo look-a-like with short hair, don’t be surprised.”

“And the Ring Battles? I don’t want anyone to end up dead, Dino-nii.” His little brother’s shoulders were hunched in, and he fought the urge to pull Tsuna into his lap and hug him. He wasn’t sure that would help right now.

“Third. While the Varia would rather forestall the Ring battles, others are too invested in them; but Squalo as the _actual_ leader of the Varia has agreed that they will make sure that you and yours survive the Battles, Tsuna. Even if we have to bend the rules to their snapping point.” His lips curved. “To be honest, Tsuna, given Hayato’s Superbi connection, and the fact that you’ll be the obvious heir to Xanxus, the training they’ll put you through _after_ the Battles is likely to be more painful than the Battles themselves will be .”

“Hiiiiieeeeee.” He bit the inside of his cheek rather than laugh at the way his little brother was flailing.

“It’ll be hard work, but it’ll make more sense than most of Reborn’s training does, Tsuna.” GIven his own experience of Squalo’s idea of training, and the little chase along the Rhubarb Road that Reborn had instigated, it would also be entertaining for _everyone_ involved, not just Reborn. “Okay. Leaving that aside, there was something else I wanted to deal with, before I go play with Kyoya.”

“Play. With Kyoya? Are you completely crazy, Dino-nii?”

“Romario certainly thinks so. But I like testing myself and Clouds are excellent partners for that sort of thing.” Looking back at some of his sparring with Squalo when he was younger, he really should have recognised his school friend’s primary Flame type. “Anyway. Leaving that aside, can you reach your Flames on your own? Not Dying Will Mode, but just, well, watch -" he lit the carved Boss Ring on his dominant hand, allowing his Flames to dance over the horse engraved on it.

"I ... don't know? It’s not something that Reborn’s shown me how to do." Dino winced at the way his little brother folded further in on himself. All he wanted to do right now was hug him, and interpose himself between Tsuna and the oncoming storm. But he certainly wasn’t able to stand up to Iemitsu on his own, and there was a plan.

Instead he fished another ring out of his pocket. "It's not something Reborn taught me, either. My father did; it has its uses, but mostly it's just a party trick, but it'll get you used to drawing out and using your Flames without the bullets."

Dino hoped Xanxus would at least allow him to punch Iemitsu once or twice before he killed him. The damage they'd done to his little brother with the Seal on him, and Iemitsu's neglect. He'd hated his father at times, but at least the man had been there and had _tried_ to be a parent!

He held the Ring, the one his father had used to teach him out and Tsuna slipped it on to his thumb, the only place it would fit, and that was another damning indictment; his brother was tiny, but someone should have taught him how to do this _years_ ago.

"I'm going to light it for you, Tsuna. Just concentrated on feeling what I’m doing, okay?" He pulled out a thread of his own Flame and wound it round one of the tendrils of Tsuna's Sky he could see if he concentrated. He then pushed both into the ring's gem as gently as he could, and it _blazed_ to life.

Tsuna’s eyes widened again, and his lips formed a silent ‘O’. Dino willed the Flame to go out.

“Did you feel that? I can do it again, if you need me to?” Tsuna shook his head, and then there was a Flame dancing on the ring, shining so brilliantly Dino had to shield his eyes. “Gentle, kiddo. It’s not a very high quality Ring; it won’t take the full force of your Flame. Can you dim it a bit? Use less Flame.” He lit his own Ring and demonstrated it. “It’s a useful control exercise, too; it’ll help with learning to modulate how much Flame you use in Dying Will Mode.”

When Tsuna could light and extinguish the Ring easily, and control the amount of Flame he was using, he finally gave into his urge to hug his little brother again. “That took me more than a month to learn how to do. I’m impressed.” He doesn’t mention that he had been seven when his father had taught him to light a Ring; Tsuna didn’t need to know that. “Now the first trick I wanted to teach you,” he flared his own Flames, allowing them to thicken around him, the way he did when he was checking that his men weren’t lying to him about injuries after a fight, “is how to read another’s Flames. Reborn’s explained about the properties of our Flame, right?”

Tsuna nodded, still staring at the Flame-lit ring on his finger.

“Right. Flames carry emotional resonances. Because we’re Skies, we get more choice over what we project than the others, and can tell when someone is trying to lie about their emotions.” He pushed everything he felt for Tsuna, including his fierce protectiveness for the younger Sky, into his Flames. “Close your eyes and tell me what you feel when I wrap my Flames around you, Tsuna.” He wrapped his Flames around his little brother and watched as an adorable blush suffused his face.

His little brother buried himself in his side, clinging to him, and hugging him even more fiercely. “But I’m just Dame-Tsuna, Dino-nii. Why?” Tsuna’s non-answer was muffled in his coat.

He cursed Iemitsu and everyone else who’d failed the little Sky he had curled into his side. “Because you’re adorable, Tsuna. Because you’ve spent seven years surviving something that should have broken you, and another year of Reborn, who I _know_ is a sadist, and you’re still you. Still a Sky capable of accepting anyone; because our blasted tutor told me he had a little brother for me, and something clicked in my head.” Tsuna burrowed closer, basking in the Flames he was still radiating. “But kiddo, I want you to survive the next few weeks, too, which means you need to learn the rest of what I have to teach you today, before I go and get myself thoroughly beaten by Kyoya. But -“ he stopped and thought, “I can promise at least two more of those Flame hugs today, and I need to think about something while you’re practising, ‘kay?”

There was a nod against his side, so he took that as an acknowledgement.

“So, that is a really benign use of your Flames. But -“ he hesitated, debating whether to name names, but refrained from doing so; he didn’t really want to bring Iemitsu into the room with them right now, “a strong Sky can use their Flames to push their emotions on another Sky, and on other, un-bonded Flame Users. You can use your Flames as a sort of Shield against that. It’s one of the reasons Skies are valued as Bosses; we’re far harder for other Flame Users, namely Mists and Skies, to manipulate.” Not impossible, but hard. Especially if one was paying attention to oneself. “Push some of your Flames to the top layer of your skin; it’s just like lighting the Ring, only you’re using your own body as a focus.” He could feel Tsuna do as he’d instructed, and though he was only managing it patchily, it was a good first attempt. “You’re doing really well, Tsuna. Can you keep working on that, until you can cover your whole body in a layer? I’m going to get us both some drinks from the kitchen; Flames are thirsty work. When I come back upstairs, I’ll explain what you can do with that, alright?” His barnacle nods , and straightens up and he was pleased to see Tsuna looking far more relaxed than he had.

He could feel Tsuna wrestling with his Flames as he went down the stairs; Romario and Reborn were both at the dining table, and he was amused to see that they were still as much co-conspirators as they had been when Reborn was still training him full time.

His former tutor was explaining a complicated trick to do with their shared Flame type, but looked up when he entered the room. “How’s he doing, Dino?”

“He’s tearing through the things I’m teaching him, I can tell the Seal is mostly gone by how easy this is coming to him,” he hesitated, “but I want to hit Iemitsu, Reborn. He’s starved for affection. The things I’m teaching him are things my father taught me when I first manifested my Flames at six. Basic control exercises, and passive uses for Flames that should have been something that Iemitsu taught him. I was teaching him how to feel for the mood of other Flame users so he could differentiate between his own and external feelings, and I don’t think he believed me until he felt for himself that I _could_ care for him.” He retrieved two bottle of electrolyte-laced water from the fridge. His tutor eyed him, thoughtfully.

“You have a question for me, Dino.” He laughed. That was Reborn, reading minds again.

“Who holds your loyalties, Reborn?” He heads back up the stairs, not waiting for the answer. Working with Tsuna on Flame control had him sensitised to his little brother’s Flames, and he could feel them flaring in frustration. He had no intention of leaving him in that state; it wouldn’t be constructive. Behind him, Romario felt thoughtful.

“Take a break, Tsuna, and drink this.” He tossed one bottle gently to the other teen, and then wrapped him up in his Flames again. “Another use for your Flames, when you can coax them to your will is just what I’ve been doing; you can use it to make sure your Elements know what you really think of them.” Tsuna curled back into his side, and he was amused by the emotions his little brother was radiating at him. The loneliness was easing, replaced by hope. His lips twitched into a smile. “It’s a really good way to communicate feelings with people who really don’t want to talk about them.”

He reached out along his bond to his Sun who had suddenly spiked with anxiety, and wrapped him in his Flames, just in time to shield him from Reborn bringing the weight of his Flames to bear on him in a less than a subtle attempt to find out from Romario why he was suddenly questioning his former tutor’s loyalties.

“Did you feel what I just did?”

Tsuna screwed the lid back on his bottle. “It was like you were reaching elsewhere?”

“That’s more or less what I just did. Our _bonded_ Elements - what Reborn has been calling your Guardians, I suspect - are connected to our Flames. You can reach along those connections and check on them.” Romario relaxed, and he mentally stepped back from his Sun. “Romario is my only bonded Element, and my Sun; I was just making sure he was nearby. It’s a reflexive thing.” White lie, but he had wanted to needle Reborn a little; he wanted to know which way their shared tutor would jump when Iemitsu and Xanxus arrived in Namimori. “If you sink down into your Flames, you may find that there are strands that extend off into the distance; they lead to other Flame Users you share a bond with. They don’t have to be your Guardians; I had a bond to my mother until she died. It’s just about them being yours.”

His little brother went very, very quiet, and then lit up like a beacon, rage skittering across the surface of his Flames. Dino hit him with a wave of his own Flames, trying to calm him down, but Tsuna instinctively burnt them off. Which was a good thing; it meant that once he explained to Tsuna how to control that response, no one would be using their Flames to influence Tsuna anytime soon, but it also meant he had an incandescent Sky on his hands. Fuck.

“Hurts, hurts, he hurts so much. What are they doing to him, Dino-nii?” All those who had rings were training, but none of them should be hurting so much as to distress Tsuna this much; perhaps if they’d done this a few days earlier, when Hayato had been being an idiot with his Dynamite, but Shamal had the bomber well in hand, now, and the Mist wouldn’t allow Hayato to come to serious harm.

“Who -” he shook his head, “- doesn’t matter; just push your Flames down the bond. Gently! They’ll help whoever it is, Tsuna. Concentrate on the need to help them, to soothe their pain, and then take a deep breath and tell me what you felt, kiddo.” He pulls his little brother into his lap, and wraps both arms around him.

His little brother hesitated for a moment, but then his Rage vanished almost as suddenly as they’d manifested and Tsuna buried his head in his chest.

“I think I have a Mist.” The words were muffled in his chest, and he had to strain his ears to make sure he caught everything Tsuna said. “And he’s hurting, Dino-nii, and I have to leave him with _them_.” Hiss eyes widened as he realised who Tsuna had to be referring to. “And he was so grateful that I had reached for him.” His little brother’s flames resurfaced again, and brushed against his own, conveying his gratitude for everything. It made him feel humbled.

“Keep wrapping him in your Flames, and they’ll help him; it’ll get easier with practise. I think I know who it is, but it’ll take a while to check, understood, Tsuna?” He was answered by a nod, and he hugged the teen tighter. Rokudo fucking Mukuro; how the hell had his little brother successfully bonded the other teen? It didn’t matter, but Sky-Element bonds were still a puzzle, despite more than a century of research. The fact that he had said a lot about his little brother’s strength and his compassion, and his ability to understand and care for his own.

Which is what made a great Sky. His little brother had potential in spades; he wasn’t sure if he would have achieved a bond in the same situation.

“I still have several other things to teach you, Tsuna, and you should keep hugging your Mist. Next lesson is on how to stop other Skies, and Mists from influencing you. There are several individuals that you’ve met, or will meet who think that manipulating people using their Flames is something of a sport, and defending yourself against that is a _very_ necessary skill if you don’t want to end up a puppet. You burnt off my Flame subconsciously when I tried to use it to help you calm down earlier; it’s possible to do that intentionally, with varying degrees of subtlety.” He paused, and took a sip of his own water. “Your Flames _know_ what your normal is, so if you Flare them periodically, they’ll burn away anything ‘foreign’.” Tsuna looked worried, and he followed his little brother’s train of thought easily. “Don’t worry; bonds to Elements seem to be excluded for some reason. As are Flame traces from,” he searched for the right word, “not family as in blood, but chosen Family? It’s how I know I trust someone at a subconscious level, when I have to work to burn their traces off.” He smiled a little ruefully; “Kyoya’s already getting under my skin. It’s getting harder and harder to remove the traces of his Flames.”

Tsuna blinked. “Dino-nii, you keep talking as if you can _see_ Flames. How? I can only see them in Hyper Dying Will Mode.”

He smacked his forehead. “I knew I was forgetting something; if I’d thought about this earlier, I’d have grabbed my father’s journals and taught you this stuff in sequence. There’s a number of ways to ‘see’ Flames; they range from very temporary, to a natural born gift and I’ll show you the one I use, as you can use it on others.” He swipes a Flame-coated thumb over his little brother’s left eye. “Just don’t look at Reborn with it ‘on’. The Pacifier he wears is _weird_. Keep your left eye closed until I tell you to open it.” He coaxed his little brother into standing up, and turning around. “Now, close your right eye and look at me through your left, Tsuna. I should be a pale yellow-orange color; there’ll be a yellow strand that trails off, probably through the floor, in Romario’s direction, and I suspect that there are purple splashes from Kyoya all over my skin. Can you see it?”

His little brother giggled. “Um, Dino-nii, you’re basically purple at this point.”

He blinked, and formed a mirror out of his Flames. Tsuna was right. That was going to make his little road-trip with his brother’s Cloud candidate _complicated_. Especially given that he was going to be really, really tempted to take their sparring to the logical conclusion if his feelings were reciprocated.

“Kyoya’s obviously feeling possessive.” He tugged his little brother close, and spun him around so Tsuna could see himself in the mirror he’d formed. “He’s not the only one though, Tsuna.” His little brother squeaked. “I see claims from Hayato and Takeshi. Ones that are on the edge of being full bonds. You look a bit like a Harlequin right now, sweetheart.” His little brother tilts his head, a question in his eyes. “What is it?”

“Why haven’t I got any residue from you, Dino-nii?” That was a complicated answer. He hesitated for a moment, and then dismissed the mirror, and the Flame lenses.

“That’ll take longer, Tsuna. It’s a slow process building a bond between unrelated Skies; you have to be in close Harmony, and really, really trust them on a personal level. Mostly we just tolerate each other, but Skies whose ‘purpose’ is different from yours can really grate on your nerves.” He bit his lip. “And you’ve got my traces on you, Tsuna; they’re fairly Sunny, and currently overwhelmed by Hayato’s. They’ll be far more obvious when you figure out how to finish your bond with your Right Hand.”

“Ah.” Tsuna hugged him, initiating this time, and his own Flames thrummed with pleasure at the change in his little brother over the course of the afternoon.

He wrapped his arms around Tsuna, and enjoyed the feeling of being hugged by his little brother. “Now. I need to coax Kyoya into chasing me around the prefecture; it’ll be fun for me, and it’ll stop him from biting the Cervello to death. Or Squalo when he reappears with his Sky. You should practise what I’ve shown you, as well as viciously snuggling your Mist; he’ll benefit from it. And I know Reborn’s working you hard, but if it’s the technique I think it is, it may still save your life - or that of one of your friends - in the near future, so it’s important, even if Xanxus isn’t planning to kill you.” His last addition was probably a little cruel, but over the year and a half he’d known Tsuna, he’d figured out that his little brother was primarily motivated by the desire to protect his own, and that explained where the darker tinge to his Sky Flame came from.


End file.
